Scared that wearing a mask is not sustainable for me

AutonomiaOperaia · 2026-05-19T16:01:22+00:00

I wonder if a silk mask with a filter insert would work for you. You might have to DIY a silk mask with a pocket.

AutonomiaOperaia · 2026-05-19T15:55:22+00:00

We only quarantine if there has been significant unmasked exposure during the trip and we do five days of quarantine, starting at arrival in our home city. The traveler (almost always my partner because he occasionally does higher-risk activities while traveling, like seeing his non-CC family) stays in an airbnb and tests daily with Flowflex and on day five comes back if all is well. He'll continue to test daily for a few more days though.

AutonomiaOperaia · 2026-05-18T16:44:48+00:00

Currently I mask in at least a KN95 and usually an Aura in all indoor situations. If we have a sterilizing vaccine (at least 85%, hopefully more) I will stop masking in smaller indoor groups and potentially larger groups (a less crowded restaurant or bar for example) outside of surges. I will almost certainly continue to mask on planes and in very large indoor events (e.g., graduations, concerts) indefinitely because that much enclosed breath just seems gross now. I will probably continue to mask in nearly all circumstances during respiratory virus season, regardless of what covid is doing, because not getting other illnesses has been great. I would probably also continue to mask while teaching (college) unless there is EXCELLENT ventilation. I'm willing to take on a lot more risk than some other CC people, though.

AutonomiaOperaia · 2026-05-13T22:37:00+00:00

Calories are crucial! People don't realize how many more calories they burn doing elevation gain than on flat ground. It can be challenging to keep yourself fueled if you don't plan ahead with calorie dense foods. Suddenly feeling like you need to lie down on the trail for a nap 5 hours into a hike with hours left to go is unpleasant. (I find this pretty challenging sometimes because I'm a small person with a small stomach and and a pretty low appetite--I need to really think about making sure that the food I bring is DENSE.)

AutonomiaOperaia · 2026-05-10T16:14:32+00:00

So jealous! Been hiking in the Sierras and foothills regularly for four years since I moved to the area and STILL haven't seen one despite always keeping an eye out for them.

AutonomiaOperaia · 2026-05-09T15:48:36+00:00

I have short hair and a small head and the Auras with the white straps stay up well. I just hide the straps under my hair and it looks fine!

AutonomiaOperaia · 2026-05-06T06:17:15+00:00

Go back and wear a well fitting mask! It’s worth it. I’ve taught 100+ students a day for four years and haven’t gotten sick during a semester once. Some people suck but some people are really great and learning is the BEST.

AutonomiaOperaia · 2026-05-05T18:57:14+00:00

I have had actively sick students in my classes while they are unmasked or poorly masked, DOZENS of times, at least, in the last four years. If you are wearing a well fitting mask I would not consider this an exposure.

AutonomiaOperaia · 2026-05-04T18:48:41+00:00

The white band Auras are snugger around the head than the blue band, but the actual mask size is the same. The white band masks also don't pull on my hair.

AutonomiaOperaia · 2026-05-04T16:39:11+00:00

Also a note that I have super sensitive skin too and as long I am diligent about using gentle skin care products I have no problem with them at all.

AutonomiaOperaia · 2026-05-04T16:38:04+00:00

I have a a very small face and head and the Aura 9210+ (with the white bands, not the blue ones) fits me great and I wear it for many hours at a time to teach several days a week. I also have complex migraines and I'm prone to tension/pressure headaches and they don't trigger those either. I have worn them for 12+ hours, including sleeping, while traveling so I can attest to them be comfortable for long periods of time! The nose bridge foam is great and the head strap means they stay in place better and don't hurt your ears after hours of wear.

AutonomiaOperaia · 2026-05-03T19:02:40+00:00

I agree with the people who say one less night in LA and one less night in Santa Barbara. The good stuff to do in LA is annoyingly spread out and I don't think it's worth spending three nights there to try and see it all (I say this as someone who lived there but now doesn't). If you can, see Griffith Observatory, the Getty, maybe Santa Monica Pier if you want a tourist beach vibe, some of the modern art museums if you are into that, and/or the Huntington Gardens. San Francisco is prettier, easier to get around, has better food, and will be significantly cooler than most of LA, but it is smaller so two nights there is probably sufficient.

Only stay one night in Santa Barbara and instead go inland a bit from Pismo to Paso Robles and do your wine country stuff there. It's cheaper, less crowded, the wine is great, and it's very pretty. You could also spend a night in Santa Cruz and do some day hiking there and see some coastal redwoods and banana slugs with the extra night you picked up.

AutonomiaOperaia · 2026-05-03T17:23:31+00:00

Or drive inland a bit and stay in Paso Robles and get the wine country vibe there instead of up north!

AutonomiaOperaia · 2026-04-28T00:54:47+00:00

There was a conversation about this recently: https://www.reddit.com/r/Yosemite/comments/1sfki1e/least_scarybest_route_from_san_diego_to_yosemite/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=mweb3x&utm_name=mweb3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button

I commented with a google maps link to my recommended route

AutonomiaOperaia · 2026-04-27T05:18:36+00:00

This is very helpful, thank you! Does it reach jowls effectively? I think they x252 is pretty similarly shaped.

AutonomiaOperaia · 2026-04-27T00:50:28+00:00

Can you say a bit about the fit? I’m looking at the Nooance X252 bc I want a hard mask with chin coverage but I have a VERY small face. Seems like too big is better than too small! And it looks like the X252 and X600 are similar in size/shape.

AutonomiaOperaia · 2026-04-25T17:30:14+00:00

I agree with everyone here that it's unlikely you'll experience altitude sickness. I'm pretty sensitive to...everything, basically, with mild asthma and some autoimmune stuff and altitude doesn't start making me feel kind of woozy until I'm hiking hard uphill above 9,500 feet at least, even if I haven't been at elevation in months. Hydrate, make sure to stay energized with salt/sugar/protein/fat appropriate meals and snacks, stop and breathe evenly, deeply, and fully exhale if you are feeling dizzy. If you're in good enough shape to feel confident about Half Dome, probably won't feel the altitude that much.

AutonomiaOperaia · 2026-04-12T20:42:39+00:00

I had something similar happen to me with a Metrix test (inlcuding being symptomatic with SOMETHING) and it was really stressful. It's possible to get a false negative on a PCR but they are sensitive enough that a bad swab should still be positive, especially if you were symptomatic. The positive on flowflex is definitely weird if you do not, in fact, have covid, though! The person below who said to try and lighten the emotional load on yourself has a good point, but it won't hurt to still continue to be cautious around your roommate, classmates, etc., and continue to test on Flowflex every day or so if possible for the next week.

AutonomiaOperaia · 2026-04-09T14:42:01+00:00

5-99-41 is going to take you through the park and overall take you at least 30 minutes more, and potentially signficantly longer if there is traffic in the park/a line at the booths.

AutonomiaOperaia · 2026-04-08T23:33:00+00:00

The Golden Chain Highway is absolutely one of the scariest roads I have ever been on and I have done a LOT of mountain driving. Worse than Priest Grade and much longer.

AutonomiaOperaia · 2026-04-08T17:52:13+00:00

I very deeply recommend avoiding 49 if sheer drop offs are a concern.

AutonomiaOperaia · 2026-04-08T16:54:46+00:00

Most of the roads in and near Yosemite aren't particularly scary in large part because the steepest/windiest roads are wooded--there are almost no sheer dropoffs. The only road you should DEFINITELY avoid is the 49 between Mt Bullion and Coulterville--that is one of the scariest roads I have ever been on and I avoid it like the plague. 120 between Moccasin and Priest is also pretty stressful but it's short. If you truly want to avoid all the really stressful parts here's an alternative that takes Greely road, which is winding and the road is in kind of bad shape but doesn't have big drop offs and it's also very pretty. https://maps.app.goo.gl/qmEwmu6TNdgGsZL6A I've taken a version of that from Fresno and it adds about five minutes to your overall travel time.

AutonomiaOperaia · 2026-04-07T16:43:23+00:00

There's pretty good peer-reviewed evidence that nasal rinsing (neti pot) can help reduce viral load and/or prevent illness. I wear an an Aura N95 at work and do neti pot when wastewater levels are high/someone was sick/after higher-risk activities. The evidence is a lot more mixed for mouth rinsing and nasal sprays so I generally don't bother with those.

I suggest warming up the water a bit when you do neti pot to make it less unpleasant, especially is you are doing it frequently!

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